Quatorzain Part 14 in the 'Home Is' Series
by tutncleo
Summary: Gibbs and Tony host a cookout for the team. This does feature a Gibbs/DiNozzo pairing.


"**Quatorzain" **

**Part Fourteen in the 'Home Is' Series**

_Just Home and Love! the words are small  
Four little letters unto each;  
And yet you will not find in all  
The wide and gracious range of speech  
Two more so tenderly complete _

Robert William Service

_**#1: **_

"It's just a cookout, Tony, not a house inspection! Would you just relax?" Gibbs demanded in amusement, as he watched Tony lying on his belly on the kitchen floor, running a yard stick wrapped in paper towel under the front of the refrigerator.

"I am relaxed," Tony defended himself absentmindedly, as he studied the debris he'd pulled out from under the appliance. He peered more closely, and picked something up. "Hey, I just found that cufflink I lost last month," he announced, holding it aloft as he rolled over onto his back so he could look at Gibbs, who was sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee and reading the paper. "You remember when I lost it, don't you, that night we went to the new Italian restaurant? When we got home, you couldn't wait until we were upstairs. What is it with you and food and sex, anyway?" he asked.

"Don't remember hearing you complain," Gibbs smirked.

**#2:**

"How many people did you say were coming?!?" Gibbs asked when Tony dropped four three pound bags of frozen chicken breasts into the shopping chart, right next to the two dozen brats and the box of frozen kosher veggie burgers. They'd been at the store for over a half an hour, and it didn't look as if Tony was even close to being done.

"Just the team, Abby, Ducky and Palmer," Tony told him over his shoulder, as he walked across the aisle and started snatching up bags of hamburger buns. "Why?"

"Well, looking at all this food, I thought maybe you'd invited everyone at NCIS. Where in the hell are we going to put it, Tony? The cookout's not until Monday."

"I can make it fit in the frig, don't worry. Come on, we need to go to produce next, to get a couple of those veggie and fruit trays. Then on to the chips and beer aisle."

"What are we doing about dinner tonight?" Gibbs wondered aloud, since looking at all that food was beginning to make him hungry.

"We can order out. I'm not gonna risk getting the kitchen dirty; it took me too long to clean it this afternoon."

Gibbs didn't say anything, but he couldn't resist rolling his eyes, as he silently wondered what he'd gotten himself into.

**#3:**

After closing the lid on the leftovers in the pizza box, Tony fell back against Gibbs. His back hurt and his head ached after breathing in all the fumes from the cleaning solutions he'd sprayed on every possible surface in the kitchen.

Gibbs put an arm around Tony, and shifted over a little to make him more comfortable. "Mmm," Tony hummed contentedly, as he rested his head on Gibbs' shoulder.

"You still want to watch that movie?" Gibbs asked, as he watched Tony's eyes start to slowly close.

"Yeah, 'course I do," Tony said, although it didn't sound as if his heart was really in it. "Said we would."

"It won't bother me if we skip it. We can watch it tomorrow," Gibbs offered. "We've got all weekend." It was Memorial Day weekend, and the team was off rotation for the long, three day holiday. "Let's go upstairs. We can watch some TV and turn in early."

"Sounds good," Tony agreed lazily, not bothering to open his eyes.

Gibbs began to gently extract himself, being careful not to let Tony suddenly flop back against the cushions. "Go on up. I'll put the pizza box in the frig and be there shortly."

Tony's eyes snapped open, and he sat up. "It won't fit," he declared in a slight panic.

Gibbs snorted, he should have remembered that. The refrigerator was now so full that something fell out every time the door was opened. He had no idea how Tony had gotten everything in there, or what they were going to do with it. There was no way it would all get eaten on Monday, but Tony had seemed to be having so much fun picking it out at the grocery store, he hadn't had the heart to object too strenuously. Besides, he'd agreed to let Tony run the show.

"I'll put it in a baggie," he assured the younger man. "That way, with a little maneuvering, I can probably squeeze it in around the two watermelons and the strawberries."

"'Kay," Tony agreed. "Want me to shut down in here?"

"Nah. Won't take me long. Go on, scram," he motioned towards the stairs.

He watched as Tony pulled himself up and headed for the door. He didn't miss it when Tony paused by the bookcase, ran a finger along a shelf, and then looked at it, checking for dust.

'Yep, it was going to be a long weekend,' he thought wryly, as he went into the kitchen.

**#4:**

Tony was sound asleep by the time Gibbs got to their bedroom. As he crawled in beside him and wrapped himself around the sleeping man, he began to wonder if he'd made a mistake. The cookout had actually been his idea.

Ever since moving in, Tony had gone to elaborate lengths to hide where he was living from most of the people they worked with, and Gibbs was tired of it. Tony was a social creature, and it bothered Gibbs that he never had anyone over. That was an exaggeration, he knew, but it was close enough to the truth to be troubling. Sure, Abby and Ducky came round, but they'd known that they were seeing each other for a long time. 'What was the point of trying to keep a secret from either of them?' he thought in amusement. Then, when McGee had found out inadvertently, Gibbs had thought the charades would finally end, but instead, Tony had seemed to redouble his efforts, determined not to slip up again. He wasn't sure who they were supposed to be hiding from. Vance, Ziva, the SECNAV, Wally the cleaning guy? And he really didn't care. It all struck him as so pointless. He'd tried talking to Tony about it, only to be told that it was just easier if no one else knew. Once, in exasperation, Gibbs had even asked him if he were ashamed of being with him. All that had gotten him was a very energetic attempt on Tony's part to prove to him that he had no shame where Gibbs was concerned. Unfortunately, as satisfying as that night had been, it hadn't solved the inherent problem. Gibbs didn't like living a sham life.

Last week, when Vance had announced that he was taking their team off rotation for the holiday weekend, Gibbs had decided to try broaching the subject with Tony again. He'd started slowly, telling him about the picnics his dad had thrown on Memorial Day when he was growing up, and mentioning how much he missed them. Tony had listened, enthralled as he always was whenever Gibbs shared something from his past.

"Wish we still had them," he'd commented casually to the younger man.

"We can cook out," Tony had offered eagerly.

"We could," Gibbs had agreed. "Maybe even invite Abby and Ducky."

"That sounds great," Tony had enthused. "I'll make my famous DiNozzo burgers, and you can do beer brats."

"Why don't we invite some of the others, too?" Gibbs had asked innocently. Ignoring how Tony had frozen at that suggestion, he'd added, "Really make a party of it."

When Tony didn't respond, he'd pushed a little more. "I think it's time, Tony," he'd said gently. Still Tony had said nothing, although Gibbs could almost see the wheels inside his head spinning on overdrive. "We don't have to give an explanation, let 'em think what they want."

"You know what they'll think," Tony had snapped.

"Yeah, so? Not like they'd be wrong."

"This could come back to bite us, Jethro. You could lose your job," Tony had argued.

"So could you, but I doubt if that's gonna happen. Hell, Tony, for all I know, it may already be in our confidential files. I don't think Vance would have missed something like this when he took over," he'd pointed out. "You know he investigated all his new teams as thoroughly as he could."

"Don't ask, don't tell," had been Tony's quick response.

"So we won't. If no one asks, we won't tell," Gibbs had answered back.

In the end, Tony had asked for a day or two to think about it, and Gibbs had agreed. On Tuesday, Tony had reluctantly agreed to the cookout, on the condition that he be the one to determine who all came. Gibbs had been so thrilled over the victory, he hadn't argued the point at all. Together they agreed upon a time. Once that had been settled, Tony said he wanted to handle the invitations and the preparations. That had been the last time they'd discussed it, until Tony had started his marathon cleaning of the kitchen that morning.

Gibbs pulled Tony closer, and buried his nose in his hair. Maybe tomorrow he'd be able to figure out some way to make him relax, he told himself, as he settled down to sleep.

**#5:**

When Gibbs woke up Sunday morning, he was alone in the bed. Glancing over at the alarm clock, he was shocked when he saw that it was 0645. 'This might actually be a first,' he thought as he climbed out. Usually Tony slept in on the weekends, and even during the week, Gibbs often had to shake him a few times before he grudgingly got up.

After splashing some water on his face, and brushing his teeth, he headed down the stairs. The scent of coffee drew him to the kitchen, where he found a pot already brewed and waiting, but no sign of his lover.

"Tony?" he called out, as he pulled a mug down. No answer.

Carrying his coffee, he went back out into the living room.

"Tony?" he tried again, louder this time. Still no response. Puzzled, he searched all over the house, but Tony was nowhere to be found. After having checked the basement, something occurred to him. Looking out in the driveway, he saw that the truck wasn't there.

Sighing, he went into the den and turned on the news. There was no telling where Tony had gone. He figured he'd find out soon enough.

**#6:**

Gibbs didn't have all that long to wait. About an hour later, Tony came bustling in loaded down with shopping bags.

"Oh good, you're up," Tony observed.

"Yeah, no surprise there," Gibbs grunted. "What's amazing is that you are."

"Can you help me unload?" Tony asked, ignoring the barb as he set down the bags he was carrying.

"Sure," Gibbs agreed, following him outside.

He couldn't believe what he saw. There, in the bed of the truck, was a new set of lawn furniture. "Where in the hell did you find all this at the crack of dawn?" Gibbs asked in amazement.

"Wal-Mart," Tony said smugly. "Open 24/7."

Gibbs was examining the new purchases. There were dark green metal folding chairs, a lounger, striped overstuffed cushions, and even a glass topped dining table. "What was wrong with our old stuff?" he asked, as he took inventory.

"You mean those rickety old plastic chairs left over from the seventies?" Tony asked in disdain.

"They still work," Gibbs defended them.

"If you don't sit down on them too hard, or for too long," was Tony's response. "Besides, there aren't enough of them. Now everyone will have a place to sit."

It was hard to argue that point, although Gibbs suspected that hadn't been Tony's chief concern when buying the new furniture. This was just the next phase of Tony's house beautification project. "Well, let's get this stuff in the back yard, and then maybe we could have some breakfast?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure," Tony agreed. "I stopped by the deli and picked up some bagels on my way home."

That wasn't quite what Gibbs had hoped for, but he'd take it. Apparently, the kitchen was still off limits.

**#7:**

"Ya know, we do have a cleaning lady," Gibbs grumbled, as he helped Tony move the sofa so he could vacuum under it.

"And she only comes once every other week. Besides, Anna's too old to do a really thorough job," Tony said, as he set down his end.

"Then why the fuck do we pay her?" Gibbs wanted to know.

"Because she's a nice old lady whose pension doesn't go far enough, and it doesn't hurt us to help her out. It's not like she doesn't get anything done; she manages to get up most of the surface dust. Now, help me move the buffet."

Gibbs just shut his mouth and followed orders.

**#8:**

Dinner was Chinese carry-out that Gibbs went to pick up at 1900 hours, when he couldn't hold out any longer. Tony didn't even notice he'd left. By that time he had moved on to the bathrooms.

"Food," Gibbs announced when he got back, sticking his head into the en suite bathroom, where Tony was busily engaged in scrubbing at the tile with a brush.

"Be there in a sec," Tony called over his shoulder.

Gibbs just turned on his heels, and went to get some plates.

When Tony got downstairs, he was hot and sweaty. As he sat down on the couch, he pushed the hair off his forehead with a still damp hand, and attempted to stifle a yawn.

Passing a plate laden with food over to him, Gibbs risked asking, "Don't you think you're going a little overboard? I don't know why you're so worried about the upstairs bathroom. No one's going to see it. And besides, even if for some unimaginable reason they did, they're not going to notice if the grout isn't gleaming white."

"Ziva will. She won't be able to resist snooping, and she'll notice every speck of dirt and stray hair," Tony disagreed.

"What do you care?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't want her making any cracks about the house resembling a bachelor pad or a dorm room," Tony replied, trying to brush the question off with a rather weak attempt at humor.

That wasn't exactly Tony's concern, but it was closer than he was letting on, Gibbs knew. "I don't think that's gonna happen, Tony. Anyway, it's our home."

"And I want them to think we take pride in it," Tony mumbled.

"I thought we did. I know I do," Gibbs pushed a little more.

"I do, too!" Tony exclaimed, setting his plate down on the coffee table.

"Then let it go. Homes aren't perfect, Tony, just like the people who live in them. There's nothing to be ashamed of, about the house or about us." After he said that, Gibbs reached over, hooked a hand around Tony's neck, and pulled him in closer so he could kiss him. "Clear?" he asked when they parted.

"Yeah," Tony told him with a small smile.

"So, when we're done eating, can we please stop cleaning and watch that movie?" he begged.

"I guess. Although I can think of something else we could do," Tony offered suggestively.

"That'll work," Gibbs grinned at him.

"Eat fast, then," Tony said, picking up his plate again. "We've got to get to sleep at a decent hour. Tomorrow's going to be another early morning. Abby'll be over by 0900 to help with the cooking."

'I should have known that was coming,' Gibbs sighed to himself, as he forked in some Szechuan chicken.

**#9:**

By 1100 on Monday, Gibbs was beginning to feel like an intruder in his own home. The manic cleaning had ended the night before, but with the arrival of Abby, who came bearing even more food supplies, the kitchen had been transformed into a production line. Vegetables were being diced, cheese sliced, salads assembled, and brownies and cookies were baking. Neither Tony nor Abby seemed overly interested in his help, and finally he'd stalked out of the kitchen and gone into the den to watch a baseball game. He could take a hint.

**#10:**

Not surprisingly, Ducky was the first to arrive. He got there at 1445, and when Gibbs answered the door, he handed him a large Tupperware bowl, and announced, "Jethro, I trust I'm not too early. I saw Abby's hearse, but I didn't notice any of the other's vehicles."

"Nope, you're right on time. I could use the company," Gibbs assured him. "What's in here, Duck?" he asked, waving the bowl around a bit.

"Ah, that is just some potato salad. I made it using Mother's recipe. I thought it might be a welcome addition to the fare," the ME told him with a smile. "Where are Anthony and Abigail?" he inquired, looking around the room.

"In the kitchen. Making who knows what," Gibbs grunted.

"Well, we'd best take this to them. It will need to be refrigerated until we're ready to eat. It wouldn't do for the whole team to come down with food poisoning, now, would it?"

When they got to the kitchen, Abby and Tony greeted Ducky with enthusiasm. "Just put the salad in the fridge," Tony told him, after he learned what was in the bowl.

As Ducky started to open the door to the refrigerator, Gibbs was about to warn him about the overcrowding, but shut his mouth when he got a glimpse inside. Where once had been piles of groceries, precariously balanced, there were now only neatly stacked trays and bowls of prepared food. Ducky had no trouble sliding his offering in next to the containers that were already there. Gibbs just kept quiet

**#11:**

McGee and Ziva arrived at the same time, and Palmer just a little bit after. Pleasantries were exchanged. By that time Abby and Tony were done in the kitchen, so they all moved out into the backyard, as Gibbs fired up the grill. Abby, with Ducky's help, fetched vegetable and cheese trays for them to munch on while the coals heated, and Tony made sure everyone had something to drink.

For the first time in days, Gibbs thought Tony was starting to unwind a fraction. Everything was going along smoothly. People seemed to be enjoying themselves, and there had been none of the awkward moments Tony had been anticipating. Eventually they all gravitated over to the large table Tony had bought the day before, and began to settle in.

The conversation was lively, and revolved around work and old cases. Funny moments from the past were brought back up, and they laughed about them all over again. When Gibbs got up to start the meat, Ducky regaled the others with a few amusing anecdotes from his youth, which got them all to talking about favorite times from their days before NCIS. Tony didn't participate in that discussion much, Gibbs noticed, but he sat and listened, and seemed to be genuinely enjoying himself.

Gibbs smiled to himself. This had been the right thing to do.

**#12:**

Once the meat was done cooking, Tony and Abby brought out all the salads and side dishes they'd spent the morning preparing, along with dishes and utensils. McGee jumped in, refilling everyone's glasses or getting fresh bottles of beer for those that were imbibing. Ziva and Palmer offered to help, but were told to just sit back and enjoy themselves.

The mood was relaxed and congenial. Everyone was making jokes about Tony's and Abby's cooking abilities, but it was good natured, and Tony was giving as good as he got. When Gibbs arrived at the table carrying a platter loaded down with chicken, brats and burgers, everyone dug in. The table grew much quieter as they all concentrated on eating.

Finally, they were done, all having announced they couldn't eat another bite. Ziva gave a contented sigh, pushed herself away from the table, and asked, "So Gibbs, you are going to give us a tour of your house, yes?" Out of the corner of his eye, Gibbs saw Tony immediately tense.

"I'm too full to move. Think I'll leave that to Tony," Gibbs told her with a smirk and a raised eyebrow, offering a silent challenge.

"You're going to trust Tony to show people around your house?" Palmer blurted out in amazement, completely missing what had just been subtly conveyed. He frowned in confusion when McGee, who was sitting next to him, kicked him under the table, and Tony blushed a brilliant shade of pink.

"It's his home, too, Palmer," Gibbs told him.

Palmer stammered out an "Oh," and turned as red as Tony.

At the same time Ziva stepped back in, "Then, unlike in the field, we have half a chance that he will not get us lost," she joked to lighten the tension that developed. "I would like to start with the basement, if we could. I have always wanted to see the boat."

"I think I'll stay here with Jethro," Ducky said languidly. "My metabolism isn't as fast as you young people, and I need a bit more time to digest my meal."

After casting a rather baleful glance at Gibbs, Tony stood up and the others followed suit. Abby began to bubble happily, acting as if nothing had happened as they walked towards the house. Gibbs had to stifle a laugh as Palmer, who was still seriously flustered, managed to trip on the door frame when he went through the patio doors and had to be steadied by McGee.

**#13:**

"You look like the cat that ate the canary," Ducky commented, once he and Gibbs were alone. "I take it this was your intention all along?"

"Hadn't planned for that to happen, but yeah, guess this was my version of outing us," Gibbs answered.

"Oh my, was that a pop culture reference, Jethro? Tony really has had a profound effect on you, my friend," Ducky told him with a smile.

"I'm not an ostrich. Don't live with my head in the sand," Gibbs huffed. "But you're right, Tony has had an effect on me. He's special, and I'm done pretending he isn't. It doesn't feel right to me anymore. It's not like people knowing about us is going to change how things are at work. We've been together for a long time now, and it hasn't affected our ability to do our job, or the way we interact with the rest of the team. But all of Tony's sneaking around was beginning to get to me. It cheapened things."

"Tony has some deep seated insecurities he goes out of his way to hide," Ducky observed.

"Ya think?" Gibbs snorted. "Didn't think letting him go on, acting like he had something to hide was helping anything."

"I'm sure that's true," Ducky agreed. "Of course, you know him better than anyone else."

"Here's to hoping you're right," Gibbs said, and tapped his beer bottle against Ducky's.

"I usually am," Ducky quipped, and they both laughed. From there, they moved on to other topics as they waited for the tour to be over.

When the others rejoined them, Tony was in the process of recounting the difficulties they'd had moving the treadmill from the den to the spare bedroom, and everyone was laughing as he told about how it had almost run Gibbs over when it slid backwards down the stairs. The awkwardness that had overshadowed the beginning to the tour had disappeared, and they seemed to be interacting in their usual manner, as they sat back down at the table.

Before long, Tim had been reduced to being called McProbie again, Ziva and Tony were arguing about the advantages of cardio vs. free weights, and even Palmer seemed to have recovered from his shock. Abby dug into one of the bags she'd brought with her, produced a ball, and an impromptu game of volleyball was started, using a hedge in the yard as a makeshift net. The game was called to an abrupt halt by Ducky when Palmer landed face down in the shrubbery, and he had to pull thorns out of his assistant's skin, while the others stood around offering moral support and a fair amount of razzing.

Since it was beginning to get dark, everyone took that as their cue to call it a night. They lent a hand cleaning up, and then began to say their thank yous and good byes. Promises were made to do it again soon, and finally the party was all over.

**#14:**

Once the others had left, Tony and Gibbs walked out in the backyard together to make sure everything had been taken care of. The sun was just about gone, but there was still a little warmth left in the air, and the yard was bathed in a soft pink glow. Gibbs sat down in the new chaise lounge, and pulled Tony down with him. Tony settled between his legs, and leaned back against his chest.

"That went well," he sighed, as Gibbs kissed his neck lightly.

"All that worry and work for nothing," Gibbs commented.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. Ziva asked me for the name of our housekeeper," Tony said in amusement.

"What'd you tell her?" Gibbs asked him.

"I gave her Anna's phone number. She can use the extra money. I just hope Ziva's not going to be too disappointed," he chuckled.

"I love you," Gibbs said, as he laughed along with Tony.

"I love you, too," Tony told him, as he turned and started to kiss Gibbs with true sincerity.

"So, what about that movie?" Gibbs asked again.

"I think we should just return it to the video store," Tony murmured, right before he kissed Gibbs again.

* * *

And now that you've gotten to the end of my quatorzain , here's a sonnet that reminds me of Gibbs and Tony, by a much more accomplished writer.

"**Two Lovers Stood Alone Beneath the Night" by Robert Silliman Hillyer**

Two lovers stood alone beneath the night,

And, quickened with a sudden strength, one said,

"To-night is ours to snatch from out the dead

An immortality of vast delight.

When Youth has felt the touch of time and fled,

When Love in chill despair has taken flight,

There is one joy that knows not change nor blight,--

Ah, kiss me, ere the fleeting hour be sped!"

The hovering moon leaned low in rapt desire,

Two souls uprose beyond oblivion,

A shout triumphal shook the starry choir,

Then sacred silence fell, until the sun

Gazed like a victor, as he gazes now,

On the new day and the undying vow.

With darkness and the death-hour rounding it.


End file.
